Mufti warns of revolution in Saudi Arabia – Press TV, 14.02.2011 – Saudi Arabian Mufti Sheikh Yusof al-Ahmad has warned that unless the government fights poverty and unemployment, it will face a revolution like those in Egypt and Tunisia.

Al-Arabiya sacks anchor for Saudi slam – Press TV, 16.02.2011 – The Saudi-owned satellite television channel, al-Arabiya, has fired one of its high-profile anchors for wanting to discuss the impact of the Egyptian revolution on Saudi Arabia.

Saudi urges reforms to avoid revolt – Press TV, 18.02.2011 – Saudi Prince Talal bin Abdul-Aziz has warned that his oil-rich country might be next in being swept over by a popular uprising if it does not act on reforms.

Saudi Arabia’s Domestic And Foreign Challenges – The Business Insider – The Business Insider, 24.02.2011 – The foreign fears comprise concerns that unrest besetting Bahrain, Libya and Yemen will strike Saudi Arabia, too. Saudi King Abdullah announced Feb. 23 that Saudi Arabia would increase spending on housing by $10.7 million and will raise its social …

Reports: Saudis helped control Bahrain streets – World Tribune – World Tribune, 24.02.2011 – Saudi Arabia is said to have sent troops and combat platforms to quell Shi’ite protests in neighboring Bahrain. Opposition sources and witnesses said they determined the presence of Saudi nationals in the Bahrain security forces.

Class struggle emerges in Saudi Arabia – World Socialist Web Site, 25.02.2011 – Over 600 construction workers employed by a major company on a project expanding the northern courtyard of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, are on strike.

Saudi Arabia: The need to change – The Guardian, 25.02.2011 -It is a measure of how nervous the Saudi ruling class must be as revolution laps at its front door in Bahrain and at its back door in Yemen, that King Abdullah has come home from medical treatment abroad bearing such lavish gifts …

Amid the Mideast protests, where is Saudi Arabia? – Washington Post, 25.02.2011 -Meanwhile, waiting among the 50 or so white-robed men on the tarmac to meet Abdullah was the man who worries him most: King Hamad bin Isa al Khalifa of the neighboring island nation of Bahrain. …

Saudis plan pro-democracy rally – Press TV, 25.02.2011 – People in Saudi Arabia’s eastern Qatif region are planning to hold a rally in support of the Libyan revolution and the uprising in Bahrain.

Saudi youths call for rally in Jeddah – Press TV, 25.02.2011 – A group of Saudi youth has called for a rally in the southwestern coastal city of Jeddah to show solidarity with the pro-democracy uprisings and revolutions across the Arab world.

OPEC urges KSA to show restraint – Press TV, 27.02.2011 – The head of the Organization of Petroleum-Exporting Countries (OPEC) calls on Saudi Arabia to avoid making unilateral decisions in the face of rising crude prices.

Saudi king orders more permanent jobs – Press TV, 28.02.2011 – Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah has ordered state employees on temporary labor contracts to be given permanent jobs in an apparent bid to protect the kingdom from protests.

Eyewitnesses: 30 tanks spotted en route to Bahrain from Saudi Arabia – Mohamed Elmeshad, Al-Masry Al-Youm, 28.02.2011 – Eyewitnesses have reported seeing an estimated 30 tanks being transported into Bahrain from Saudi Arabia on Monday night at around 6:45pm local time. The tanks were sighted along the King Fahd causeway, which links the small island-nation of Bahrain to Saudi Arabia. … Civilian eyewitnesses could not, however, confirm whether the tanks belonged to the Saudi military. …

… The notion of a revolution in the Saudi kingdom seems unthinkable. Yet, a Facebook page is calling for a „day of rage“ protest on March 11. Prominent Saudis are urging political and social reforms. And the aging monarch, King Abdullah, has announced new economic assistance to the population, possibly to preempt any unrest. Is the immovable Saudi regime, a linchpin of U.S. security interests in the region, actually movable?

… conditions seem to be present in Saudi Arabia, too, but the country is different in some important ways. First, its economic situation is far better. Egypt’s per capita gross domestic product is slightly more than $6,000, and Tunisia’s is closer to $9,000. For Saudi Arabia, it is roughly $24,000 and climbing (up from $9,000 a little more than a decade ago). The Saudi regime also has resources to spend on its people. Oil prices are high and rising. On Wednesday, the king announced massive social benefits packages totaling more than $35 billion and including unemployment relief, housing subsidies, funds to support study abroad and a raft of new job opportunities created by the state. …

Another difference between Saudi Arabia and its neighbors is that the opposition has been largely co-opted or destroyed. For the past 10 years, the Saudi government has systematically gone after al-Qaeda cells on its territory and has rooted out suspected supporters in the military and the national guard, especially after a series of attacks in 2003. Key opposition clerics have been slowly brought under the wing of the regime. This has involved some cozying up to unsavory people, but the threat from the radical fringe is lower now than it has been in the recent past. And the Saudis have been quite clever about convincing the country’s liberal elites that the regime is their best hope for a successful future.

The loyalty of the security services is always an important predictor of a regime’s stability, and here the Saudis again have reason for some confidence. Senior members of the royal family and their sons are in control of all the security forces – the military, the national guard and the religious police. They will survive or fall together. There can be no equivalent to the Egyptian military taking over as a credible, independent institution. In Saudi Arabia, the government has a monopoly on violence. …

Finally, a succession plan is in place. Saudi Arabia has had five monarchs in the past six decades, since the death of its founder. There is not a succession vacuum as there was in Egypt and Tunisia. Many Saudis may not like Prince Nayaf, the interior minister, but they know he is likely to follow King Abdullah and Crown Prince Sultan on the throne. …

The United States has a great deal at stake in Saudi Arabia, though Americans often look at the Saudis with distaste. As one senior Saudi government official once asked me: „What does the United States share with a country where women can’t drive, the Koran is the constitution and beheadings are commonplace?“ It’s a tough question, but the answer, quite simply, is geopolitics – and that we know and like Saudi’s U.S.-educated liberal elites.

The Saudis have been helpful to us. They are reasonably peaceful stalwarts. They don’t attack their neighbors, although they do try to influence them, often by funding allies in local competitions for power. They are generally committed to reasonable oil prices. For example, although their oil is not a direct substitute for Libyan sweet crude, the Saudis have offered to increase their supply to offset any reduction in Libyan production due to the violence there. We work closely with them on counterterrorism operations. And the Saudis are a counterbalance to Iran. We disagree on the Israel-Palestinian issue, but we don’t let it get in the way of other key interests.

Washington does not want the Saudi monarchy to fall. The Obama administration would like it to change over time and should encourage a better system of governance with more representation and liberal policies and laws. But revolutions aren’t necessarily going to help those we hope will win. … Still, the key components of rapid, massive, revolutionary change are not present in Saudi Arabia. At least, not yet.

Report: Saudi Facebook activist planning protest shot dead – TREND.az, 02.03.2011 – Saudi activists alleged Wednesday that state security shot dead a leading online activist, who was calling for a „Day of Rage“ on March 11 in the oil-rich kingdom, dpa reported. Faisal Ahmed Abdul-Ahadwas, 27, was believed to be one of the main administrators of a Facebook group that is calling for protests similar to that have swept North Africa and the Middle East. The Facebook group, which has over 17,000 members, is calling for nationwide protests and reforms, including that governors and members of the upper house of parliament be elected, the release of political prisoners, greater employment, and greater freedoms. Online activists said they believe Abdul-Ahadwas was killed by state security and that his body was taken by authorities to „hide evidence of the crime.“ They argued he was killed because of „his commitment to a better future for his country.“ Although these allegations could not independently verified, the religiously and socially-conservative kingdom has moved in recent days to quell a possible uprising …

Saudi women rally for prisoners‘ release – Press TV, 03.03.2011 – A group of women in Saudi Arabia have protested their husbands‘ detention in Saudi prisons, amid the emerging signs of anti-government uprisings across the kingdom.

Saudis to hold ‚Day of Rage‘ rally – Press TV, 04.03.2011 – A group of Saudi activists have called for a “Day of Rage” rally in the oil-rich Eastern Province after Friday prayers, following the arrest of a Shia cleric.

Anti-govt. protests held in Saudi Arabia – Press TV, 04.03.2011 – Hundreds of Saudis have taken to the streets in the eastern province of al-Ahsa, demanding the immediate release of a senior Shia cleric.

Shadow over House of Saud as ‚day of rage‘ draws nearer – The Independent, 05.03.2011 – Saudi Arabia was yesterday drafting up to 10,000 security personnel into its north-eastern Shia Muslim provinces, clogging the highways into Dammam and other cities with busloads of troops in fear of next week’s „day of rage“ by what is now called the „Hunayn Revolution“.

Anti-govt. protests hit S Arabia cities – Press TV, 05.03.2011 – Hundreds of Saudi demonstrators have taken to the streets in the capital Riyadh for the first time to join anti-government protests in other cities in the Arab country, calling for the release of political prisoners.

‚Massive protests loom in Saudi Arabia‘ – Press TV, 05.03.2011 – Massive anti-government protests are impending in Saudi Arabia following the arrest of a senior cleric who called for political reform in the country, an analyst says.

‚Saudi repression bodes ill for Riyadh‘ – Press TV, 05.03.2011 – The Saudi government’s clampdown on a recent protest at political detentions in the country will spur further outrage against the monarchy, says a political analyst.

Robert Fisk: Saudis mobilise thousands of troops to quell growing revolt – The Independent, 05.03.2011 – Saudi Arabia was yesterday drafting up to 10,000 security personnel into its north-eastern Shia Muslim provinces, clogging the highways into Dammam and other cities with busloads of troops in fear of next week’s „day of rage“ by what is now called the „Hunayn Revolution“. Saudi Arabia’s worst nightmare – the arrival of the new Arab awakening of rebellion and insurrection in the kingdom – is now casting its long shadow over the House of Saud. Provoked by the Shia majority uprising in the neighbouring Sunni-dominated island of Bahrain, where protesters are calling for the overthrow of the ruling al-Khalifa family, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia is widely reported to have told the Bahraini authorities that if they do not crush their Shia revolt, his own forces will.

Saudi Arabia imposes protest ban – BBC News, 05.03.2011 – Saudi Arabia bans all protests and marches in the country and warns police will use measures to prevent disruption.

Protesters call for ‚Saudi Revolution‘ – Press TV, 05.03.2011 – A group of Saudi youths has called for a “Saudi Revolution” on March 20, using Facebook, to demand democratic and political reform in the monarchy.

Saudi protesters demand reforms – Press TV, 05.03.2011 – Saudi Arabians are becoming more dissatisfied with their government, and while protests continue in the oil rich nation, the US and its Western allies become more concerned.

Saudi Arabia and the Arab revolutions – Press TV, 05.03.2011 – Some 132 Saudi intellectuals, scholars and professors at the kingdom’s universities have written a letter to the Saudi king, urging change in the ruling system of the House of Saud’s regime.

Saudi Arabia: Protests Reach Eastern Province – Global Voices, 06.03.2011 – The flame of protests raging across the Arab world, from the Ocean to the Gulf, has reached the Saudi Arabian cities Al Qatif and Al Hafouf. More than 100 people gathered in each of the two cities for the release of Shiite cleric Tawfiq Al Amir, who was arrested on Friday, March 4, after calling for a constitutional monarchy and a war against corruption. YouTube user Arabia Today uploads this video of the demonstration in Qatif, where protesters are chanting: “Our presence is peaceful, our demands are legitimate,” and “We will never forget those being imprisoned” …

Haifa Alrasheed: Saudi Arabia: What Saudis Demand – Global Voices, 06.03.2011 – As protests engulf the region, Saudis too are making their voices heard. A petition addressed to King Abdulla is being circulated, with demands aimed at wide ranging political reforms. The petition, entitled “Towards a Country with Rights and Institutions,” is available online, and contains a total of eight demands, written in a very polite and formal manner. …

Saudi forces arrest female protesters – Press TV, 06.03.2011 – Saudi security forces have reportedly arrested dozens of female anti-government protesters, who had rallied in the east of the country to call for the release of prisoners.

Andrew Hammond: Saudi authorities arrest at least 22 Shiite protesters – Washington Post, 07.03.2011 – Saudi Arabia’s security forces have detained at least 22 minority Shiites who protested last week against discrimination, activists said Sunday, as the kingdom tries to keep the wave of regional unrest outside its borders. Saudi Shiites have staged small demonstrations in the Eastern Province, which holds much of the oil wealth of the world’s top crude exporter. The province is near Bahrain, also the scene of protests in recent weeks by majority Shiites against their Sunni rulers. …

Saudi royals loot national wealth – Press TV, 07.03.2011 – Reports show that members of the Saudi royal family have appropriated billions of dollars of the country’s national wealth, including oil revenues, for their personal use.

Haifa Alrasheed: Saudi Arabia: “Demonstrations are Forbidden in This Country” – Global Voices, 07.03.2011 – Saudi Arabia’s council of senior clerics issued a statement forbidding public protests. … The correct way in sharia (Islamic law) of realizing common interest is by advising, which is what the Prophet Mohammad established, The statement continues: Reform and advice should not be through demonstrations and ways that provoke strife and division, this is what the religious scholars of this country in the past and now have forbidden and warned against. The announcement caused a storm of reaction from Saudi tweeps, under the hashtags #saudimataleb and #Kebaralolama …

US calls for protest right in S Arabia – Press TV, 08.03.2011 – The United States has called on Saudi authorities to respect the right to protest following a massive clampdown on anti-government protesters in the ultra-conservative kingdom.

Pepe Escobar: THE ROVING EYE : The perfect (desert) storm – Asia Times Online, 08.03.2011 – The Arab revolt, North African yearnings for democracy, Western despair over oil prices, and the new American doctrine for regime alteration are kicking up a perfect storm, deploying devastating gusts of hypocritical winds such as the US request for Saudia Arabia to arm rebels, while turning a blind eye to the House of Saud’s inconvenient truth. History yet again repeats itself as farce.

Pepe Escobar: THE ROVING EYE : Rage against the House of Saud – Asia Times Online, 09.03.2011 – The US$36 billion question in Saudi Arabia concerns whether an ailing monarch can bribe his subjects into submission with oil money and escape the furious freedom winds of the great 2011 Arab revolt. The world will be able to watch a preview this Friday, as a Facebook-organized „Day of Rage“ hits the globe’s largest gas station.

Saudi foreign minister warns against protests – The Independent, 09.03.2011 – Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister said today that dialogue — not protests — is the way to bring reform and warned that the oil-rich nation will take strong action if activists take to the streets.

Saudi FM: Change through dialogue only – Press TV, 09.03.2011 – Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister has described dialogue as the best way to bring about change as the kingdom braces for more anti-government protest rallies.

Saudi protesters renew call for reform – Press TV, 10.03.2011 – Protesters in Saudi Arabia have poured into the streets to demand the ruling regime freedom in the monarchy and release political prisoners, despite a ban on demonstrations.

Saudi party responds to call for talks – Press TV, 10.03.2011 – Saudi Arabia’s Islamic Ummah Party has responded to Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal’s call for dialogue to end the rising unrest in the kingdom.

Brian M Downing: Generational rage in the House – Asia Times Online, 10.03.2011 – Whatever response they plan to the „day of rage“ demonstrations in Saudi Arabia, the elders of the ruling House of Saud will have to take into account that generational conflict will resonate with politics and intrigues within the large royal family. Calls for change from Saudi youths will likely stir old resentments among royal offspring who hold positions in both the state and military.

Speaking out – BBC News, 10.03.2011 – How Saudis are raising their voices.

Saudi role in Yemen crackdown exposed – Press TV, 10.03.2011 – A Yemeni opposition leader says Saudi Arabia collaborates with intensifying efforts by Sana’a to suppress outraged masses across the country that have been calling for ouster of Yemen’s unpopular ruler.

Saudi King Abdullah Blames Obama – DEBKAFile, 10.03.2011 – King Abdullah warns his princes and fellow-Arab rulers not to rely on the United States to rescue them from domestic unrest or any other threats. He blames Washington for failure to quell Bahrain troubles.

First Saudi Day of Rage flops, protesters to try again Friday – DEBKAFile, 10.03.2011 – Saudi protesters tried to grab limelight of Middle East by bringing forward its Day of Rage demos by four days to Monday, March 7. However, the organizers failed. debkafile’s sources report exclusively that they had planned to start the demonstrations against the Saudi throne in the western and southern regions Monday. This was to have build up to a powerful climax in Riyadh and across the kingdom Friday and execute the scenario most feared by the Saudi throne: a mainstream-Shiite protest merger.

VIDEO: Saudi Arabia prepares for ‚day of rage‘ – BBC News, 10.03.2011 – Protestors have taken to the streets in the city of Katif for a second night, before a so-called „day of rage“ against Saudi Arabia’s rulers planned for Friday.

Summer Said, Adam Entous: Protest Violence Reaches Saudi Arabia – WN.com, 11.03.2011 – Saudi police fired live ammunition into the air Thursday to disperse at least 200 Shiite protesters in the oil-rich Eastern province, the most significant escalation of unrest in the kingdom since popular demands for change began to sweep through the region late last year. Saudi activists have called for a „day of rage“ on Friday, raising new concerns about stability in Saudi Arabia, the U.S.’s most important Arab ally and the world’s largest oil producer. Three people were injured in the protest by activists in Qatif, in the oil-rich Eastern Province, calling for political reforms and the release of prisoners …

Saudi Police attempt to arrest injured demonstrators shot by police – Net News Global / youtube.com, 11.03.2011 – On the night of thursday, march 10, 2011. citizens gather in front of a hospital in the eastern saudi city of qatif where policemen attempted to arrest injured pro-democracy demonstrators who were earlier shot by the saudi police. the injured were rushed to a military hospital in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia ‚day of rage‘ protest fizzles – WN.com, 11.03.2011 – Few turn out for a ‚day of rage‘ protest that had been talked about for weeks in Saudi Arabia. The call for demonstrations, organized on Facebook and by word of mouth, had drawn a stern response from the government. Protesters shout slogans asking for the release of prisoners they say are held without trial, in Saudi Arabia’s eastern Gulf coast town of Qatif Friday. …

Saudis hold protests amid tight security – Press TV, 11.03.2011 – Hundreds of anti-government protesters have taken to the streets in the eastern Saudi Arabia staging a „Day of Rage,“ demanding political reforms.

Saudi protests highlight US hypocrisy – RT, 12.03.2011 – As unrest in the Arab world continues the Obama administration finds itself in a bind when it comes to undemocratic nations it actively supports.

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Source: Latin American Observatory of Environmental Conflicts (OLCA) - MiningWatch Canada (Santiago/Ottawa) While Barrick has been offloading assets and reducing operational costs in order to improve its standing with shareholders, the social costs of the Pascua Lama project in Chile’s Huasco Valley continue to grow. Despite company statements that communit […]